Captive-ball practice device



APPLICATION FILED JULY I9, I92].

Patented July 4, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 'I.

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a; 7mm v 7 C. F. CRAIG. 'CAPTIVE BALL PRACTICE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED .|ULY19,192I.

lnuenian- UNHTE STATES CHARLES FREDERICK CRAIG, OF FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 CRAIG GOLFMETER 00., OF WILMINGTON, DELAW'ARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CAPTIVE-BALL PRACTICE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Parent-ea July 4., 1922.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES FREDERICK CRAIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Captive-Ball Practice Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionr'elates to that class of captive-ball practice-devices in which the blow delivered to the ball rotates a member, the motion of which is transmitted to a register arranged to indicate, in terms desired, the force and eiiect of the blow.

Devices of this nature, though adapted for a variety of games, are especially intended for golf-practice, in that theresultant register indication may be made to show, either directly or indirectly, the distance the ball would have traveled. under the force of the blow, if said ball had been free.

My present invention is an improvement upon that captive-ball practice device for which, jointly with Herschel M. Connor, I filed application for patent December 8, 1919, under Serial Number 343,363, which said application was allowed March 29, 1921, but the patent for which is not yet issued.

The object of my present invention is, generally, to improve the device whereby the machine is structurally more efiicient, with respect to strength, durability, reliability and accuracy, and is adapted for a more satisfactory indication of the force and effect of the blow delivered.

With this object in view, my invention consists in the novel captive-ball practicedevice which I shall hereinafter fully describe. by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a vertical section, partly in elevation of my device, the dotted lines showing'the position of the captive ball when at its maximum height, under the force of the blow.

Fig. 2 is a'h'orizonta'l section, enlarged, on the'line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional detail of the captive-line slidable connection.

Fig. 4: is an enlargedsectional detail showing the adjustable connection'of the register with the top of the fixed standard.

Fig. 5 is a front view, enlarged, of the part 7 fitted acushion 3, lined with a metallic thimble l, the lower end of which is flanged under the base and .is provided with a cross bar 5. The upper end of the thimble is flanged over the top of the cushion with an intervening washer 6. See Fig. 1.

In thethimble t is fitted a standard 7, the lower end of which is slotted over the cross bare, Fig. 1, whereby said standard is prevented from turning under the severe jannecessarily following the operation of the device.

8 is a sleeve mounted for rotation about the fiXedstandard. 7.. The sleeve is carried by the standard by means of a suitable bearing or bearings. In the present case there is a single bearing, preferably of the ball This is not shown, but is located at the top of the sleeve indicated at 9, so that the sleeve is suspended by this bearing, with its bottom having clearance between it and the top washer 6 of the base 1, whereby the sleeve is made very sensitive to rotation.

Fixed upon the top of the sleeve is a collar 10 from which extends an arm 11 in one direction, and a second arm 12 in the opposite direction. the arm 12 carrying a counter-weight or' ball 13.

The lower end of the sleeve is also fitted with 'a collar 14 from which extends an 16 is a rod which, at its upper end is preferably formed with a goose-neck bend 16', the extremity of said bend being removably fitted in a socltet ll in the arm 11, and is fixed therein by a set screw 17, Fig. 1. The lower end of the rod is preferably formed with a bend 16, the extremity of which is removably fittedin a socket 15 in. the arm" 15 and is set therein, by a screw 18, Fig. 2. Thus the rod 16 is carried. by the sleeve 8, in spaced relation thereto and extends for its full length. The bends of the rod tend to reduce its rigidity, thereby affording compensation under the sudden pressure upon,

it, due to the force o-f the blow on the ball;"

and the lower bend permits the initial or rest position of the ball connection to be low down, as seen in full lines in Fig. 1.

19 is a golf or other ball. The ball is connected by a flexible line 20 with the rod 16. The connection of the line 20 with the rod is a freely slidable one a good, form tion shallnot be caughtin said bend.

sleeve 8. ,It will thus be seen that by the rotation of thesleeve 8 motion will be trans- 24. is a register. This is fitted on top of the fixed standard 7, the fitting being best formed as seen in Fig. 4, by slipping it upon said standard, and adjustably holding it by a thumb-screw 25, playing in a circumferential groove 7' in the standard. Thus the register may be turned at will to conveniently face the operator.

The register is provided with a dial face 2%" which may he graduated in any terms desired, preferably marked in terms of distance the graduations being determined by and proportionate to the gear-train which operates the hand, 26 playing over the dial.

The hand'26 is fitted upon the squared end of an arbor 27 which extends back through. the register casing and has fixed upon its rear end a. thumb wheel 28, Fig. 6,

by means of which the arbor 27 may be manually turned to initially set or return the hand. l

About the arbor 27 is loosely fitted the hub29 of a wor1n-wheel 30, said hub being journaled for rotation in a bearing boss'2 t of the register casing. j Between the rear end of the w0rm-wheel hub 29 and the hub 28 of the thumb Wheel 28 is a friction clutch disk 31 of paper or other suitable material, F 6, said clutch being held operative by. means of a spring 32 lying between the front of the wormwheel 30 and a flange 27 of the arbor 27. It will now be seen that by turning the thumb wheel 28, the hand may be reset without affecting the worm-wheel. 30. because the friction clutch may slip. but when the worm wheel is rotated itwill. through the clutch,

turn the thumb wheel, and through said wheel and the arbor 27 will. turn the hand. Mounted in suitable bearingsin the register casing is a short shaft Fig. 5, the

upper end of whichcarriesa worm 34.- which .meshes with the worm-wheel 30. The lower.

end of the shaft/ 33 projects below the casing and QHI'IIGS a. gear 35, which meshes with a gear 36 fixed upon the upper end of the jrnitted through the gear train to the hand of theregister. B5

Inusing thefdevice the ball is laid upon a. met or other support and is hit with the club in the same way that a shot would be made from the tee or in the fairway. It leaves the club with great speed, and as it rises and its captive line tautens the line connection runs up on the rod 16 and the captive ball moving in a circle rotates the sleeve 8 on the fixed standard 7. The speed of the hall is not checked and it will travel its full distance While traveling, the hand moving over the dial face records the yards of its journey. V pended, the ball falls as it would on a golf course. 7 V It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the counterweight ball 13 is slidable on the arm 12 and is controlled by a spring 13. This indicates a simple form of centrifugal control for the purpose of automatically equalizing the revolution of the sleeve proportionate to the force of the blow, so that the sleeve will revolve smoothly and without tendency to jerk. I

1 claim a l. A device of the class described, comprising a. fixed standard; av sleeve adapted When its energy is exthe sleeve; a gear on the lower end of the w shaft engaging with the sleeve gear; 1 and means ,for operating the register-member from the upper end of said shaft. 7

i 2. A. device of the class described comprising a fixed standard; a sleeve adapted to revolve about said standard; a register member carried by the top of the standard above the sleeve, said member having a graduated face and a handplaying thereover; an arbor carrying the hand a rotatable shaft mountcd in said-register member with one end projecting therefrom; aworm-on the inner end. of the shaft; a gear'on the outer end thereof; a worm wheel within the register member engaging the worm and associated with the hand arbOr for operating the hand;

a gearon the top of the sleeve engaging the gear on the outer end of the shaft; a ball; and a connection between said ball. and

sleeve for rotating the sleeve when the ball is struck.

, 3; A device of the class described comprising afiXed standard; a sleeve adapted to revolve about said standard; a register member carried. by the top of the standard above the sleeve,.said member having a graduated face and ahand-playmg thereover; an arbor carrying the hand, a rotatable shaft mounted in said register member with one end projecting therefrom; a. worm on the inner end .of the shaft; a gear on the outer endthereof; a worm wheel within the register member engaging the worm and associated with the hancharbor for operating -the hand; means associated with said worm-wheel and handarbor for resetting the hand independently of the worm-wheel; a gear on the top of the sleeve engaging the gear on the outer end of the shaft; a ball; and a connection between said ball and sleeve for rotating the sleeve when the ball is struck.

at. In a device of the class described the combination of a fixed standard; a sleeve adapted to revolve about said standard; a ball; a connection between said ball and sleeve for rotating the sleeve when the ball is struck; a register member fitted to the top of the standard and rotatively adjustable thereon; and means for operating said register member by the rotation of the sleeve.

5. In a device of the class described the combination of a fixed standard; a sleeve adapted to revolve about said standard; a ball; a connection between said ball and sleeve for rotating the sleeve when the ball is struck; a register member fitted to the top of the standard and rotatively adjustable thereon; a gear on the top of the sleeve; a rotatable shaft carried by the register member to one side of the axis of rotat-ive adjustment thereof; a gear on one end of said sha't't meshing with the gear on the sleeve; and means for operating the register member from the other end of said shaft.

6. In a device of the class described the combination of a base having a boss; a cushion fitted in said boss; a lining member within the cushion for holding it in the boss, said lining member having an internal crossbar; a fixed standard fitted in said lining member with its lower end slotted upon the cross bar thereof; a sleeve revolubly carried by the standard; a register member carried by the top of the standard; means actuated by the rotation of the sleeve to operate the register member; a ball; and a connection between said ball and sleeve for rotating the sleeve when the ball is struck.

7. In a. device of the class described, the combination of a fixed standard; a sleeve adapted to revolve about said standard; a rod carried by said sleeve in spaced relation; a ball; a connection between the ball and rod, freely slidable upon the rod; means for registering the revolutions of the sleeve under the force of the blow delivered upon the ball; and a centrifugally acting device carried by the sleeve for automatically equalizing its revolution proportionate to the force of the blow.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a fixed standard; a sleeve adapted to revolve about said standard; a ball; a connection between the ball and sleeve for revolving the sleeve when the ball is struck; means for registering the revolutions of the sleeve; and a centritugally acting device carried by the sleeve for automatically equalizing its revolution proportionate to the force of the blow delivered upon the ball.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES FREDERICK CRAIG. 

